I’m not lying when I confess this: Had this game been a one-game “play-in” elimination game, instead of a regular season game in July, I would have soiled myself during A.J. Swizzle Stick’s At Bat against Mo Rivera in the 9th inning.

Watching Melky Cabrera get the big hit tonight, makes this news even more depressing than it is just as a standalone item:

General manager Brian Cashman has made it clear that pitching prospect Philip Hughes is as close to untouchable as any player in the Yankees’ farm system.

Melky Cabrera on the other hand, may not be.

According to a Major League executive, the Yankees and Pirates have discussed a deal that would send the young outfielder to Pittsburgh in exchange for outfielder Jeromy Burnitz and first baseman/outfielder Craig Wilson.

Right now, I’d rather have Melky Cabrera and Aaron Guiel on my team than Jeromy Burnitz and Craig Wilson.

This is no knock on Craig Wilson. I like Wilson. I would trade Matt Smith or T.J. Beam for Wilson. But, that’s about it. If the cost is Cabrera, then I don’t want Wilson.

And, I see no value at all in picking up Burnitz. Since 2000, he’s been an average batter – at best. There’s no need to give up anything to acquire a player like him at this stage in his career.

Moving on, when I wake up tomorrow morning, I expect to see the Yankees be just a game and a half out of first place – and, just one game back in the loss column.

Thanks, recently, to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Oakland A’s, Boston is feeling it right now. Maybe this makes the Yankees lucky? So, what? But, I’d rather be lucky than good any day.

And, I’ll take 7 innings and just 3 runs allowed from Randy Johnson every time out. I just hope that the right arm-pit issue from the game tonight is not going to be a problem for him now.

Comments on July 14th vs. The White Sox

This article ruined what was a great night. Trading this kid can’t even be on Cashman’s radar. It’s not possible. It goes against everything he has said so far this year. This has to come from somewhere else, and be wrong! I hate Burnitz, and Wilson isn’t worth it. It wrecks everything Cash has been trying to build. I’ll stop now. I hate this idea.

Um, why are the Yankees lucky? The won six of their last nine and beat up on a team that kicked the crap out of the Red Sox (Tampa Bay).

So the Pirates are going to trade Burnitz AND Wilson for Melky alone? That should tell you all you need to know about Burnitz. He’s a worthless player and is hitting a disgusting .228 this year with a sub-.300 OBP.

Steve, I know you say you’d trade Smith or Beam for ANYONE, but Wilson isn’t even worth that.

Anyway, as for tonight: nice pitching performance by RJ, I love that we broke Contreras’ streak, awesome rally by our offense late, and Mo got victimized by a couple of bloop singles in the ninth.

The best part of the night is that after ALL THAT PANICKING in the media — to the point where people on ESPN said the Yankees couldn’t make the post-season and that their reign in the AL East was over — they’re only 1.5 games back. Ya think people overreacted to a three-game lead by the Sox? I sure do.

And, I see no value at all in picking up Burnitz. Since 2000, he’s been an average batter – at best. There’s no need to give up anything to acquire a player like him at this stage in his career.
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Obviously he’s a throw in.

Wilson is a FA after this season, he is better bat than Melky but it’s not worth trading 6 year of melky for 3 month of Wilson, let alone having to pick up a old piece of garbage that will hurt when we try to pick up FAs.

I really don’t want Burnitz…I especially don’t want him for Melky. I would like Wilson…but not for Melky.

***he best part of the night is that after ALL THAT PANICKING in the media — to the point where people on ESPN said the Yankees couldn’t make the post-season and that their reign in the AL East was over — they’re only 1.5 games back.***

I don’t know. I don’t think ESPN was predicting the Yankees demise. They posted their Power Rankings yesterday while the Sox were ahead by 3 games, and they still put the Yankees as the 3rd best team in the league.

If this trade happens I’ll be highly dissapointed w/Cash. If Melky is included in a trade it had better be Melky and some pitcing prospects not named Hughes for a high caliber bat, a’la Abreu or Sori. I think the Nats have already sealed the Sori deal w/someone. Kearns arrives and then they sign Matos. Looks like they’re prepping for Alfonso’s departure. I say the Halos get him. That’s my 2 cents, sorry for blabbering.

2. The article reads as “discussed”. It doesn’t say if an offer was made by either side. Could be kind of like how I “discussed” with my granddaughter it’s time for her to take a nap.

3. The article DOES say that Cashman would be very comfortable turning down everything in front of him so far.

I don’t know the author (at least it’s not George King) so I don’t know his track record. Nor is there any time specified when these discussions took place.

If the writer is accurate there’s been a discussion (though maybe not an offer by one team or the other), we don’t know when these discussions took place, and the only attributed quote is that Cashman doesn’t have an offer of anything he’s comfortable with accepting at the deadline let alone two weeks before.

If Cashman made the offer to the Bucs then maybe there’s more for the Cabrera fans to be concerned about.

This is the time of year people throw lots of things against the wall to see what sticks.

***A little over a week ago, the Pirates approached the Yankees with a deal that would have sent Melky Cabrera and a prospect to Pittsburgh in exchange for Jeromy Burnitz, Craig Wilson and Salomon Torres, according to sources.

The Yankees flatly rejected the proposal, mostly because they believe in Cabrera. Last night, the rookie outfielder showed why.***

All I know is that I got home from dinner and watched Mo nail it down with the bases loaded, nobody out, and the defending champs going for the kill. It was a bit nerve-wracking to watch but we came through it on a night when Melky got the big hit and Beckett, yet again, got bombed. We gained ground on Boston in the division and the White Sox in the Wild Card and Farnsworth even pitched an effective inning in relief between RJ and Mo. That’s the way to do it!

As for this Melky trade talk, I really hope Cashman keeps it in his pants and doesn’t do something stupid. Whether or not scouts are right about Milk-man only being a fourth outfielder type, I don’t really care. I’ll take him on my team over Jeromy Burnitz. Is Burnitz the guy that stank up the joint in New York not once but twice already? Do we really want to see him in New York again?

I don’t see the Yankees making that Pirates deal. I think that we have to take into account that the Yankees should be linked with any OF out there now. By making it look like they have a lot of potential deals, they have leverage against the team with whom they really want to deal.

I wish the outfielders would move in when Rivera pitches to have a better chance at the bloops that often seem to drop in. Hitters don’t seem to hit many shots off him and the dunks are so exasperating.

Buehrle may have made the All-Star team over Moose but it’s pretty clear who’s having the better season so far. Tomorrow is house-money day as the guy over on the other Yankee blog always says. It’ll be Wright vs. Freddy Garcia going for the sweep. I’m not sure why Wang isn’t getting the start tomorrow but right now I’m not in a complaining mood. I’m just happy that we’ve started the 2nd half out on the right foot and inched our way closer in the division and wild card races…